Electrical connector for FFC/FPC

Abstract

An electrical connector for receiving an FFC/FPC includes an insulating housing, a plurality of conductive terminals, a pair of retaining pins, and a metal cover. The insulating housing includes a main body and a pair of shoulder parts. Each shoulder part has a guiding bump, and a pre-pressing board. An oblique-entry space is formed between the guiding bump and the pre-pressing board. The pair of retaining pins are respectively fixed in the pair of shoulder parts. A bottom end of the retaining pin is exposed from the bottom surface of the insulating housing. The metal cover is slidably disposed on the top surface of the insulating housing, and includes a top pressing plate and a pair of side sliding rails. A front end of the top pressing plate has a pressing rib. The metal cover is movably arranged between an initial position and a pressed position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical connector for receiving a flexible flat cable (FFC)/flat printed circuit board (FPC), two sides of the FFC/FPC each having a fixing portion respectively, the electrical connector comprising:
 an insulating housing including a main body and a pair of shoulder parts, the pair of shoulder parts respectively forming at two sides of the main body, the main body having a plurality of terminal slots, the pair of shoulder parts respectively having a guiding bump and a pre-pressing board, and an oblique-entry space being formed between the guiding bump and the pre-pressing board; 
 a plurality of conductive terminals being respectively received in the terminal slots; 
 a pair of retaining pins being respectively fixed in the pair of shoulder parts, an end of each of the retaining pins being exposed from a bottom of the insulating housing; and 
 a metal cover being slidably disposed on a top surface of the insulating housing, the metal cover including a top pressing plate and a pair of side sliding rails, the pair of side sliding rails respectively connected to two sides of the top pressing plate, the pair of side sliding rails being slidably mounted on the pair of shoulder parts respectively, a front end of the top pressing plate having a pressing rib, the pressing rib protruding toward the insulating housing, and the metal cover being movable between an initial position and a pressed position; 
 wherein when the FFC/FPC is inserted in the electrical connector for FFC/FPC, the fixing portion of the FFC/FPC is received in the oblique-entry space, and the pre-pressing board presses against a top surface of the FFC/FPC; when the metal cover is moved to the pressed position, the metal cover contacts with the pair of retaining pins, and the pressing rib of the metal cover presses the FFC/FPC to contact with the conductive terminals. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein a pair of lateral-insertion slits are respectively formed on the pair of shoulder parts, the pair of lateral-insertion slits are formed at an outer side of the guiding bumps, the pair of retaining pins are respectively received in the pair of lateral-insertion slits, each of the retaining pins includes a top portion and a leg portion, the leg portion is exposed from the bottom of the insulating housing so as to be soldered to a printed circuit board, and the top portion is exposed from a top surface of the insulating housing. 
     
     
       3. The electrical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the main body of the insulating housing includes a front portion and a rear portion, the terminal slots pass through a top surface of the front portion, the conductive terminals include a plurality of contacting portions exposed from the top surface of the front portion, a height of the rear portion is higher than a height of the front portion, and the pre-pressing board extends beyond a front edge of the rear portion. 
     
     
       4. The electrical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the guiding bumps each has a guiding ramp, the pre-pressing board is protruded toward the guiding ramp, and the guiding bump further includes an upper stopper at an inner side thereof. 
     
     
       5. The electrical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the pair of shoulder parts of the insulating housing respectively includes a rear blocking recess and a front stopper, the rear blocking recess is formed concavely on the top surface of the shoulder part, the front stopper is disposed at a front end of the shoulder part, the pair of side sliding rails of the metal cover respectively has a rear stop tab and a lower rail, the rear stop tab extends downward from a portion of a top wall of the side sliding rail, and a portion of a bottom end of the side sliding rail is bent to form a lower rail; wherein the rear blocking recess stops the rear stop tab, so that the metal cover is stopped at the initial position; wherein the front stopper stops the lower rail, and the metal cover is stopped at the pressed position. 
     
     
       6. The electrical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the pair of shoulder parts of the insulating housing respectively has a stop protrusion formed at an outer side thereof, the pair of side sliding rails of the metal cover respectively has a positioning knob, the positioning knob protrudes toward the insulating housing, and the positioning knob is slidably located between a front end and a rear end of the stop protrusion correspondingly to the pressed position and the initial position of the metal cover. 
     
     
       7. The electrical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the pair of side sliding rails of the metal cover respectively includes a pressing arm extending forward, and the pressing arm positionally corresponds to the retaining pin. 
     
     
       8. The electrical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal cover includes a front guiding portion extending upward and obliquely from a front edge of the top pressing plate, and a holding portion extending upward from a rear edge of the top pressing plate. 
     
     
       9. The electrical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the retaining pin includes a top arm, a soldering portion and a lateral retaining arm, the soldering portion extends downward from the top arm, the lateral retaining arm extends from a front end of the top arm and bends to one side of the top arm, the lateral retaining arm has a blocking portion protruding outward, and one end of the lateral retaining arm is fixed to the shoulder part. 
     
     
       10. The electrical connector according to  claim 9 , wherein the pair of shoulder parts respectively have a lateral-insertion slit formed thereon, the lateral-insertion slit is arranged at an outer side of the guiding bump, and the top arm is fixed in the lateral-insertion slit;
 wherein each of the side sliding rails of the metal cover has a side wall including a front positioning opening and a rear positioning recess; wherein the blocking portion of the lateral retaining arm is engaged in the front positioning opening, so that the metal cover is stopped at the initial position, wherein the blocking portion of the lateral retaining arm is engaged in the rear positioning recess, so that the metal cover is stopped at the pressed position.